Franchitti has surgery in Indianapolis on broken right ankle

It was the second operation on his ankle since Franchitti was injured Oct. 6 in an accident on the last lap of the Grand Prix of Houston. He also fractured two vertebrae and suffered a concussion.

IndyCar orthopedic consultant Dr. Terry Trammel said Monday's surgery lasted just over three hours and was to repair the talus bone in Franchitti's ankle. The talus bone connects the leg and the foot. The surgery was performed by Dr. Tim Weber, who told Trammel it "went perfectly and just as planned."

"His post-operation X-rays looked great. Everything is positive at this point as Dario continues his recovery," Trammel said.

Franchitti's accident occurred when contact with Takuma Sato sent his car sailing into the fence. Debris from the accident injured 13 fans and one IndyCar official.

Franchitti, from Scotland, is a four-time IndyCar champion. He was moved from a Houston hospital last Thursday to Indianapolis and Target Chip Ganassi Racing released a photo of him before the trip that showed him smiling, surrounded by his two dogs, and aided by a walker. His right leg was in a cast and he was wearing a heavy brace around his torso.

In Indianapolis, he's been visited by teammate Scott Dixon. A photo posted over the weekend by Dixon's wife showed the couple and their two daughters posing next to a smiling Franchitti in his hospital bed.

Franchitti will miss Saturday night's season finale at Fontana, where Dixon will try to win his third IndyCar championship. Alex Tagliani will drive Franchitti's car.